Each year, deserving CAFNR students are selected to become part of a year-long leadership development experience. It challenges them to not only lead on campus, but also in their future career fields.
Founded in 1976 after the tragic passing of Jerry Litton, his wife and their two children in a plane crash, the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Litton was a CAFNR alumnus who operated a world-renowned cattle ranch and served in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1970s.
More than 300 CAFNR students have been part of the Litton Leadership Scholars program since the first cohort in fall 2012. Applications are accepted each spring for the fall cohort.
Each cohort engages in a uniquely designed seminar course that capitalizes on the best that leadership education has to offer. Scholars interact with leadership, agriculture and community experts. The academic and relational nature of the experience guides the Scholars to become impactful change agents in the University of Missouri community and beyond, said Jon Simonsen, professor of agricultural leadership, communications and education, and coordinator of the Scholars’ program.
For Addy Nichols, a junior at Mizzou studying hospitality management, the opportunity to be a Litton Leadership Scholar during the 2025-26 academic year was invaluable.
“You don’t have to be in a position of power to be a leader,” she said. “It’s more of a mindset. It means wanting to put others first and wanting others to succeed.”
The program not only changed Nichols’ idea of leadership, but it also brought her lifelong connections.
“I didn’t know a lot of people in CAFNR beforehand,” she said. “Now I feel like I’ve made good friends and strengthened the friendships I already had.”
Braden Havlik, a junior studying agriculture and political science, also discovered the importance of developing strong connections while in the program.
“The best part of the Litton Leadership Scholars program is the connections made with community leaders, members of the Foundation and students from various degree programs within CAFNR,” he said. “Litton lived a life dedicated to serving others and focused on building relationships with everyone he met, and I’m grateful the scholars program gives us opportunities to have experiences similar to those he had.”
As president of CAFNR Student Council, Havlik said the lessons he learned during his time as a Litton Leadership Scholar has helped him serve as a leader who unites students, promotes connection and encourages pride throughout the College.
“Litton’s character is what I believe made him so successful, and it continues to serve as a model for scholars in the program today,” he said. “For me, that has meant becoming involved in CAFNR in hopes of making a positive impact on our college, even if it’s small compared to the impact Litton had.”
Nichols is also involved in organizations across the College and the Mizzou campus, including serving as a CAFNR Ambassador, a member of CAFNR Student Council, president of the Hospitality Honor Society and member of the Mizzou Alumni Association’s Griffiths Leadership Society. She believes her time as a Litton Leadership Scholar has made her better able to serve in her other leadership roles.
“It’s made me more of a welcoming person as an Ambassador,” she said. “I’m able to work well with prospective and admitted students and try to make Mizzou seem like a place that could be home to them.”
As Litton Leadership Scholars, Nichols and Havlik traveled to Litton’s hometown of Chillicothe, Missouri, to attend the Foundation’s annual banquet.
“It was really cool to see how people talked about how much the Litton name means to their community,” Nichols said. “We were able to learn how he led by always putting his community and others first.”
Nichols hopes to have a career in sport venue management and one day work for Mizzou Athletics. Meanwhile, Havlik is pursuing a career in public service through gaining experience in internships with the Missouri Senate, House of Representatives and Governor’s Office.
“Learning from leaders like Gov. Mike Kehoe has given me hope that Litton’s legacy lives on through the public servants who continue working every day to make Missouri and its future stronger,” Havlik said.
The leadership skills both Havlik and Nichols have gained through the Litton Leadership Scholars program have given them the confidence, experience and determination to pursue their goals and make an impact long after graduation.